How Norwich’s music community helped busker - and 10 other random acts of kindness

Busker Adrian Howes, centre, with his new guitar, bought by friends who fundraised to replace his guitar that was trashed when Adrian was assaulted. From left, Dickie Hartt, Matt Watson, Richard Shashamane, and Andy Sacre. Picture: Denise Bradley

Friday, April 25, 2014
1:13 PM

When fellow musicians heard that Adrian Howes’ guitar had been destroyed in an altercation near the Tesco store in Guildhall Hill they presented a new guitar to the Norwich busker at a benefit gig at The Blueberry Music House in Cowgate.

Following the generosity of Norwich’s music community we look at 10 more random acts of kindness:

• 25-year-old Jodi Ann Bickley from Birmingham started an initiative called one million lovely letters. She sends ‘a little hug in an envelope’ to anyone who emails her requesting one, and often leaves her letters in restaurants, parks and buses.

• Earlier this month Bill Drummond, whose mother never baked enough cakes, baked 40 homemade cakes. He mapped an area of Birmingham between Eastside Projects and Spaghetti Junction and gave the cakes to 40 random people on the streets.

• Paralysed in a cycling accident in 2009, Daniel Black from Wales raised £22,000 for an operation which could help him to walk again. However on hearing the story of six year old Brecon Vaughan, who suffers from cerebral palsy, Daniel donated the entire sum. Brecon flew to America in October for pioneering surgery to help him walk.

• Starbucks have reported hundreds of people paying in advance for the coffee of the person behind them in the queue, in a trend of kind acts towards strangers.

• A group of young late night revellers in Lincolnshire were captured on CCTV fixing a broken bike rack at 3am outside their local takeaway. The group discussed the best technique to tackle the bent metal rack for 13 minutes before beginning their repairs.

• After hearing a mother expressing her sadness for the loss of her 9-year-old daughter’s birthday present in the post, Paul Warner, the owner of a traditional toy company from Wellingborough, sent the lady a toy bunny with the note ‘sorry the Royal Mail let you down, hopefully this will put a smile on your little girl’s face.’

• Samantha Munday has started an international campaign to paint positive messages and pictures on stones, before leaving them in public places for people to find.

• Three-and-a-half-year old Lily Robinson wrote a letter to Sainsbury’s asking “why is tiger bread called tiger bread? It should be called Giraffe bread?” Customer Manager Chris King replied: “I think renaming tiger bread giraffe bread is a brilliant idea - it looks much more like the blotches on a giraffe than the stripes on a tiger, doesn’t it?” before explaining the history of the bread which was promptly renamed.

• After being diagnosed with cancer, investment banker Keith Owen rewrote his will to leave £2.3 million to a voluntary conservation society in Sidmouth, Devon. The money for planting flowers and bulbs in the town was left by Mr Owen to ensure Sidmouth continues to look beautiful for years to come.

• 91-year-old June Bishop from Hull raised £92,000 for Age UK using a single collecting tin, dressed as a bumble bee.